Garment-supporter



No. 620,2l7. 'Patented` Feb. 2s, |899.

G. H. BLAKESLEY. GABM'ENT suPPonTl-m.

(Appuacion medxug. 1a, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GILBERT II. BLAKESLEY, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming pare of Letters Patent No. 620,217, dated February as, 1899.

Application filed August 13, 1897. Serial No. 648,140. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, GILBERT II.BLAKESLEY, of Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Supporters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists of a garment-supporter which is suitable for use by either sex, and which I believe will be found especially convenient and desirable by the class which is now becoming so numerous who desire a simple,easily-adjustable,and eective garter, convenient in use to Wear in connection with golf and bicycle suits.

I am aware that many devices have been invented for use as a garment-supporter, and I myself have made sundry discoveries in this class of inventions. I have not considered, however, that in the art there is to be found a garment-supporter of the general class to which my invention belongs which is practical from the manufacturing and mercantile standpoint as distinguished from the theoretical standpoint. From the practice of my invention by myself as a manufacturer and from the success which the use of the device, the subject of my invention, has met with from merchants and users I am led to believe that my invention is not only theoretically novel, but is practically new and useful.

The requirements of such an article as I shall attempt to describe hereinafter in this specification may brieliy be detailed as follows, although I do not attempt to relate all the necessities of such an article: The garter must support the hose firmly in position,

'and therefore must have a suicient binding force to accomplish that object. On the other hand, there is the necessity equally great to meet which a construction is required which seems directly opposed to the first necessitythat is, the garter must be comfortable for the wearer, and especially must not bind the Inuscles of the wearer to any appreciable extent. This would be desirable in any case, but is especially so in the case of those to Whom I have referred as large prospective users of a garter of this character because of the severe use to which the muscles affected by the garter are subjected.

To the end of overcoming the difficulties heretofore encountered and of providing a garter which shall meet the needs of the user, my invention consists of certain details of construction, which are hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the claims. Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to theletters marked thereon, the same letters representing the same parts and features wherever they occur.

Figure l is a perspective rear View of my complete garter. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the joints. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a continuous strand of the elastic portion, illustrating the mode of construction of the individual rear strands. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one section of elastic strand. Figs. 5 to 8 are detail views of the parts which are used in joining the elastic and non-elastic portions, of which Fig. 5 is a plan View of the link, Fig. 6 of the butt, Fig. 7 of the butt applied to the, link, and Fig. 8 a perspective view of the combined clip and rivet.

My improved garment-supporter as represented in the drawings consists of a rear elastic portion and a front non-elastic portion. In order that the elastic portion may be durable and capable of securing a sufficient binding eifect and at the same time be so elastic as to conform to the requirements which have been set forth more at length above, I use separate strands constructed in a manner which I have made well known to users and the trade. C represents the elastic portion; A the non-elastic portion. It would be impossible to manufacture the elastic portions separately with any economy, and to that end the elastic portion is made in one continuous strand, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Combined metal clips and rivets are formed from blanks into the shape illustrated in Fig. 8. The clip is bound firmly about the end of the strand of elastic stock, thus confining the rubber and liber at that point. A suitable length is measured off, and two of these clips are bound about the strand at closely adjacent points, as indicated clearly in Fig. 3, just IOO space enough being left between them to enable the manufacturer to cut the strand, as at c2. Following this plan of manufacture, we shall secure short separate strands of elastic material, (illustrated by the letter C in Fig. 4,) having the ends bound firmly by the clips o at the ends. The drawings show corrugations or teeth c3 c3, which cooperate with the sides of the clip c to bind the strand more securely. The links E are made in the usual manner, and the blanks D are pressed out also in the ordinary way with rectangular apertures al d d in one end. The plane end of the butt is then bent about the side of the link, which has the joined ends, in such a way as to permit, if it is desired, a slight circular movement or working of the butt upon the side of the link as a hinge. The projecting parts c of the rivets on the ends of the strands are inserted in the apertures in the butt and swaged down upon the same, thus firmly attaching the elastic strands to the butt. The non-elastic braid is in two portions. The end of one portion is doubled through the link E and fastened to the familiar adjustable device E2. part of the glove-buttoning device B. The other part of the non-elastic braid or web is doubled through the link at the other end of the elastic portion at E', and to the other end is attached the coi-relative part of the glovebuttoning device. The joint may be covered by any suitable material at e e by stitching thereover any suitable material.

The method of use of my improved garter is of course plainly apparent to the unskilled observer. It may be pulled onto the leg over the foot or may be unbuttoned at B and` passed around the leg and when in position may be adjusted to any size by means of the adjusting device E2.

I have chosen to describe somewhat mi-` nutely my garment-supporter, as illustrated in the drawings, which represent the elastic portion to be composed of three strands. It would of course not depart from the spirit of my invention to use either more or less than three strands. It is not essential, of course,

to use the fastening device illustrated in the l drawings, although I have found it exceedingly efficient in use. There may be other material changes in the construction without departing from the spirit of my inventionas, for instance, the link might be dispensed with and the attachment of the non-elastic portion be made directly with the butt by forming a channel or slot in the butt. The

garter, as shown in the drawings, however, is one which is not only comfortable and desirable in use, but one which is cheap,economical, and practical to manufacture.

Having thus described myinvention, what Upon the other end is affixed one I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A garment-supporter consisting of a rear portion composed of a plurality of strands of softr elastic stock, a front portion composed of two inelastic tapes supplied with an adj usting device, the ends being detachably connected, and the elastic and non-elastic portions being fastened together by means of a link, a butt attached to said link, and combined clips and rivets binding the ends of the elastic portions and connecting said ends to said butt, substantially as described.

2. In a garment-supporter an elastic connecting-section having its ends bound by metallic clips, said clips being each detachably attached to a butt or plate which in turn is bent about a link substantially as described.

3. In a garment-supporter an elastic connecting-section comprising a plurality of elasA tic strands having their ends bound by metallic clips, said clips being each detachably attached to a butt or plate which in turn is bent about a link so that the same may be inserted in a section of webbing the ends of which are attached to said links.

4.. In a garment-supporter an elastic connecting section comprising a plurality of strands of soft elastic stock, metallic butts, combined clips and rivets, binding the ends of each strand and riveting them to the metallic butts, links bound about onone side by the butts, and forming therewith a fiexible or hinged joint, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a garment-supporter the means for attaching non-elastic and elastic sections comprising a link, a butt or plate, one end of which is bent around one side of the link and a combined clip and rivet, the rivet-point being passed through Van aperture in the other end of the butt and clenched upon the same so that the same may connect the elastic and non-elastic sections by fastening the nonelastic section about one side of the link and the end of the elastic section by the clip substantially as described.

6. In a garment-supporter, an elastic connecting-section having its ends bound by metallic clips, said clipshaving means whereby they may be detachably attached to one side of a butt or plate, and means for the attachment of a section of webbing to the other side of said butt or plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GILBERT II. BLAKESLEY.

Witnesses:

THOMAS A. TRACY, JOHN J. JENNINGS.

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